Audacity
by VCAyuki
Summary: To repair another's damaged soul, all you have to do is to step forward. -a series of 'drabbles' about Calem and a girl who can't speak for her life- *a view of kalosshipping, not an OC*
1. Vaniville Town

**Vaniville Town **

_"A town whose flower is about to bloom." _

Serena wasn't good with people. And she knew, because when she'd moved away from her last home in Unova, she hadn't even thrown a fit. She would silently obey her mother, wherever her mother had pleased to move to. And her mother hadn't found her actions to be the least bit odd, knowing what the both of them had been through.

So what was different this time that she had to communicate with these people at her front door?

"Hey! Hi, new neighbor!" The pink girl nearly shouted in Serena's ear. Even. Though. They. Were only inches apart. And the girl wasn't actually pink. She just wore a lot of pink clothing that screamed and shouted pink. It was incredibly hard to miss.

Serena merely nodded at the girl's happy greeting. She never knew how to approach girls like her.

Serena looked to her right. There was a blue boy. And he wasn't actually blue, mind you.

"We heard you'd just arrive days ago," he said. "Please come with us."

That was unusual. He wasn't the least bit loud compared to the girl next to him. And what was that he said? Come with them? She'd just gotten here hours ago. Serena merely blinked at him, so the boy took it upon himself to answer for her.

"We'll be waiting for you out behind the gates right there" -he pointed in a direction Serena couldn't possibly take note of- "See you soon." And he left. Just like that, without even asking her name or telling his for that matter. He seemingly left the noisy pink girl behind too.

"So, I'll be waiting at the gates for you, okay? Don't be late!" The girl sang, and skipped out of Serena's view, leaving Serena to herself, just how everything, and the world, should be. Serena couldn't thank the skies enough for that.

She walked back into the house, avoiding her mother and going up to her room. She rarely showed any emotions, so she contemplated her discomfort silently upon her bed, thinking of those two people. Communication with others always got to her. It's just how things were. Especially since she knew that boy and girl wanted her to get Pokemon with them. It gave Serena all the more reason to reject their offer.

But for some abnormal reason, she had a small itching to go and meet them. She wanted to experience the new world. Her mother had told her there were new Pokemon around these parts. Serena had heard countless of people speak about this. It sparked the lust for adventure in her, even though she'd tried so hard to quench it for the last few years. She had to go meet those two people, no matter how much her discomfort told her not to.

Plus, she didn't want the pink girl to come wandering back, nor did she want the commanding blue boy to suddenly appear at her door once more.

It would be too much for her head to handle.

* * *

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Hellooo. So I just recently got the Pokemon X game and am loving it. So much, that I'm going to start writing this collection of vignettes, or short stories, surrounding mostly Serena, and Calem.

Now the dialogue and scenes won't be exact, if you've noticed and have been probably wondering about that. It's got its basic idea across, and the characters' personalities, so I'm okay with it.

Happy roaming!


	2. Aquacorde Town

**Aquacorde Town**

_"Water and civilization in harmony."_

_._

The blue gates were already open as Serena passed through and met a small, slightly winding pathway. From the looks of it, Vaniville town, where her current house was, was a pretty tiny town. Here she was, already outside Vaniville town by passing out the gates.

And...The next town... Was right there. Right there, merely ten steps ahead. Why did the blue boy and pink girl want the three of them to meet there, and not in Vaniville, when the two towns were so close to each other?

Soon enough she saw the reason why. There were chairs and tables for them to sit at. Well, for five of them to sit at, actually. Serena saw the pink girl and blue boy at the table, but as she got closer, there were two other individuals seated there as well that she hadn't seen before.

The blue boy and pink girl sure were confident that she was to come, weren't they?

The blue boy motioned for her to sit down in the chair next to his and Serena sat silently, staring at the two new people seated across from her. One was a hefty looking guy with barely any visible hair, and the other guy was the complete opposite. He was skinny with an orange helmet full of hair.

"Everyone!" A voice yelled out of no where. It was the pink girl. And she was literally right in Serena's ear. "This is Calem's new neighbor that just moved in days ago! Say hi!"

Did these people not get new neighbors that often? Serena thought. She couldn't understand the extremely large aura of excitement surrounding her.

"Nice to meet ya! I'm Tierno, and ready to rumble!" the large guy greeted.

"I'm Trevor. Hello," the other kid said quietly, almost like he was whispering. He bowed his head, fidgeting with his fingers.

"Trevor! Lighten up! You're always like this with new people," the pink girl exclaimed.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am-"

"Anyway!" The pink girl shoved her face towards Serena's, filling her entire vision. Serena unconsciously leaned back, her insides terrified. "As I was saying. I'm Shauna. The guy sitting next to you, his name's Calem."

Serena looked at said guy, who sat there calmly, seeming to be pondering about something. But he snapped to at the mention of his name, his eyes landing on Serena. In fact, everyone was putting their attention on her, not just Calem.

"What's your name?" Calem asked, a faint trace of curiosity on his face. He rarely showed emotion, Serena noted.

She sighed. This question was the one she hated the most. It would always be the first thing people asked her. Why not ask her, "how are you" or, "how's your day been"? Then she wouldn't have to explain what she had to do next.

She made a fist for them to see, then another fist, then a peace sign, then-

"What are you doing?" Shauna said almost immediately, her brow raised. And of course, that was the first question she would constantly receive after her magic spell of a sign language.

"I think that's sign language," Trevor noted, reading her mind. "No wonder she's been quiet all this time."

Serena nodded almost too energetically. Never in her whole life had another kid near her age notice right away she was using another way to communicate.

And maybe, Trevor would understand it too, she hoped, so she formed the signs for 'Blink twice'. He did just that.

"Why do you know how to read sign language, Trevor?" Tierno asked.

"I've got a relative who's similar to Ser." Trevor nodded towards Serena.

Serena blinked. Ser? Everyone else ooh'ed and ah'ed at Trevor's explanation.

"So your name's 'Ser'?" Calem tried to confirm, but Serena shook her head. She kept her annoyance from showing as she formed the rest of the letters to her name. Trevor slapped his forehead, his cheeks going aflame.

"My apologies, Serena," he drawled, "I got too ahead of myself."

Serena raised her arms as if to shrug. Calem had begun to speak again, but Shauna unknowingly cut him off.

"Serena, huh? What a nice name! Now it's time for the Pokemon, right Calem? It's what we all came here for!"

Calem sent Shauna a wary look before taking out a capsule. "Sorry, but Shauna's been desperate for a Pokemon a while now." Serena shrugged again, and he clicked a button on the capsule and revealed three pokeballs. Serena cocked her head, then made signs to Trevor.

"She asks why you guys already caught the Pokemon."

"They're from Tierno," Shauna explained. "He wanted Calem to do the honors."

Tierno grunted in agreement. "I took great care of them. Promise!"

"You pick first, Serena," Calem said. Serena shook her head and nodded towards Trevor and Tierno, pretending to be courteous. Inside, the last thing she wanted to do was get forced to pick a pokemon. Why couldn't she get one herself? And what was this about a Pokedex? Why did she have to do this?

"Trevor and Tierno already have their own Pokemon," Shauna assured.

Serena wanted to run back to her house and lock herself in her room. She couldn't start another journey. Not so soon. Not after what happened. She couldn't. She couldn't.

"We'll be with you all the way. You won't be alone."

She searched for who said those words. It wasn't Trevor, Tierno, or Shauna. They were all eyes on Calem, nodding their heads, smiling. Serena never saw such a determined look on a person's face.

Her body acting on its own will, she chose a random pokeball, only Calem seeming to notice her arms shaking a little, but he didn't comment about it as he chose his own pokeball. Then Shauna, too.

Serena stared at the red and white orb in her hands, shiny and precious, holding a living creature within. He/she didn't know her, as she didn't her/him. If she couldn't handle the new responsibility, she had to back out now. It was now or never. But the people around her, their faces radiating with their own unique, positive emotion, made it difficult. Calem and Shauna went to get her. Everyone willingly introduced themselves, even one introducing the other. Trevor understood her language. What may seemed small to others, all of this was a big deal for Serena.

Why they tried, she didn't know. But it was a bit comforting, if not uncomfortable.

* * *

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Thank you to the ones who are following this story, as well as the favorites. It absolutely warms my heart.

guest reviewer: Update Now (Just a name) :) : Thank you for your kind words And wishes! Your review certainly made me chuckle, especially at the role-playing!

CaseyLotus1: Here you go, and thank you!

Happy Roaming!


	3. Santalune Forest

**Santalune Forest **

_"The gentle light filtering through this sun-dappled forest makes it a popular spot for nature walks." _

The forest was a serene place with its huge canopy trees above that barely allowed the sun's rays to pass through. That meant the forest floor was perfectly moist-just how Serena wanted it. Not too damp, yet not as cold either; a perfect place to relax. That's why she lagged behind and allowed the others to run ahead of her towards the exit of the forest-partly because of the scenery, partly because of the new adventure she was starting. She needed to be alone for a while. Just long enough for her to adjust. Her acquaintances (she couldn't accept them as friends yet; it was too soon for that) told her to meet them at the exit anyway, so she took her sweet time.

They would wait for her there.

But one person. One. Person. Just had to lag behind the others without her permission, joining her in, seemingly, companionable silence.

He was ahead of her, walking silently on the tan road and away from the patches of abnormally tall grass. He was completely clueless at Serena's presence. At first, Serena thought she wouldn't mind him being there-he was the calm one from the group after all-but from time to time he would take furtive glances at the grass besides the road, and it would freak her out, causing her to stay clear from the grass as well.

She was trying to relax here, not be overly cautious. So Serena tried to get rid of the problem by stretching the distance between them, slowing down her pace.

She thought she was being successful-his back _was_ getting blurrier by the second after all-but then she heard a rustle; a nerve-wrecking noise from right behind her. She turned around to come face to face with an incredibly ferocious, angry, red monkey. She'd walked straight into the patches of grass without knowing it. It was all because of that Calem guy! He distracted her!

She ran for dear life, the violent red monkey hot on her trail. It wasn't until she ran a complete circle that she remembered help was just up the road, wearing a blue jacket.

She switched directions and ran through the grass for the tan road. Soon enough, Calem's blue jacket came into view. The angry cries from the red monkey surely should've caught his attention instantly, but it didn't. Calem couldn't differentiate it from the rest of the shrieks, chirps, and squeaks of all sorts the forest supplied. So Serena did the only thing she could of at the time.

She clapped for him to hear her. She clapped with all the strength she could muster! Like her life depended on it. Literally.

To her relief, her claps worked and he turned around. He quickly understood what was going on and motioned her towards a bush for her to stay behind it. He whipped out his pokéball and threw it to the air. Sure enough, a few minutes later and the job was done. The red monkey had fled back to where it came from.

Calem returned his pokéball back into his satchel. His eyes were closed as he turned towards her.

"Can I ask," he said, "why you didn't use your pokémon?" He opened a single eye to see Serena cast her head down towards the ground. She was still behind the bush.

"Don't tell me you lost your pokéball."

She shook her head, and took out said pokéball for good measure. He raised a brow, then came towards her. Serena had no idea why, but she stayed put until he was right in front of her.

"May I?" He asked, hand extended out. It was Serena's turn to raise a brow as she slowly, but eventually, gave him the pokéball. Then he did the unexpected.

He released the pokémon from the pokéball.

Serena watched helplessly as the white outline of her mystery pokemon turned green and brown in different places, revealing a spiky-looking creature. She was annoyed at why Calem would even do such a thing. She obviously didn't want to meet the pokémon yet. And, she was also frustrated because now there was no way to back out anymore. She was going to have to go through the whole ride again. By force.

The brown thing's eyes looked up at the both of them and stretched its limbs. Then all of a sudden it began running jubilantly around in circles, utterly happy that he/she was free. After a few rounds around a nearby bush, it came back to coincidentally latch onto Serena's leg, refusing to let go as it squealed with joy. It seemed to automatically know who he/she belonged to.

Serena's shoulders sagged.

But Calem. Oh, senile Calem. He merely smirked.

* * *

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I'm really starting to warm to this fic. To heck with "this fic is just practice", I'm totally putting effort, if not some already. Can't you tell with the new titles and quotes I put up at the top of each chapter? ;)

Happy Roaming, and New Years as well!


	4. Santalune City

**Santalune City**

_"A traditional city."_

Her pokémon was wailing. She didn't know pokémon could wail so realistically, but it was happening right in her arms. She had a front-row seat.

She needed to find a Pokémon Center. Now, or else her eardrums were going to burst. Then where would her almost-non-existent communication skills be?

Luckily, the Pokémon Center was sitting right in front of the entrance to this new place called Santalune City. Serena rushed for the center, the mechanical sliding glass doors quickly opening to reveal a free nurse, not preoccupied with anything else. Now was Serena's chance to end the wailing-she just had to hand the pokémon over-

"Oh hi, Lady Serena!"

Serena nearly dropped the poor thing on its head at the intruding voice. It was Tierno. What was he doing here? And why was he giving her a title?

"I was just about to go looking for you. I wanted to show you the basics!"

The basics? The basics to what? And didn't he notice she had a crying pokémon in her arms? She looked to the nurse, tinkering with her dress, and to the other people inside the center, busy socializing or texting. Why was everyone being oblivious? Was this reality?

"Lady Serena, right this way," Tierno motioned towards the nurse, who was now attentive finally, for some odd reason.

So _now _they noticed the crying pokémon? Good. Then she could finally relax and find Calem. She'd been meaning to give him a good glare once she saw him again. She just got side-tracked.

She stepped forward, extending her arms out to hand over the pokémon-

"This is where you heal your pokémon," Tierno said with a matter-of-fact tone, stopping Serena in her tracks. She raised a brow at him. You don't say, she wished she could tell him.

He was insulting her intelligence-either on purpose or obliviously, she couldn't tell.

Now back to handing over this pokémon-

"Over here, Lady Serena!" She was suddenly pulled to the right, the still-hurt and still-upset pokémon in her possession. Serena glared at Tierno with the most annoyance she could muster.

"This is the Poké Mart-" Serena rolled her eyes "-It's where you buy potions for injured pokémon, and poké balls of all sorts so you could catch even more pokémon!"

If she could laugh, she would laugh right then, because that joke Tierno just made about catching pokémon was _hilarious._ Her? Catch pokémon? Never. Serena smiled pleasantly at him, and waved him off, walking away and towards the healing center. Now back to healing this wonderful, shrieking creature-

"And then there's the changing room!" Tierno bellowed, dragging a boiling Serena to the far opposite side of the center.

"This room is special," Tierno explained with the utmost sophistication, a finger pointing upward. "It's where you can change your clothes whenever you like, wherever you like. There's a room like this in every center. All you have to do, is stand in front of the curtains, and go inside."

Serena stood rigidly. That was it. She was officially deadpanned. She couldn't deal with this anymore. There was something clearly wrong with Tierno. Her pokémon was flailing now, waving its arms and legs everywhere, but now, after this, could care less.

She dug her face into its soft belly, letting the irritated pokémon mess up her hair with its limbs.

"So that was the basics," Tierno concluded. "Come find me if you ever need a re-cap; I'd be happy to help!"

* * *

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Dbztron2: Thank you for the support and wishes! I will continue this fic until it's done!

Brianna (fanfiction won't let me type your full penname in for some reason): Thank you :)

A-Cat: Thank you! And oh, there will be many moments I have in store. -cheshire cat grin-

Happy Roaming!


	5. Lumiose City

**Lumiose City **

_"A dazzling metropolis of art and artifice."_

The café was empty, save a loving couple or two sitting in their own isolated corners of the shop, whispering amongst themselves. And the bartender was also present, whistling merrily while tinkering with the coffee machine. Everyone's life was going on as it should be in its normal-length strides, oblivious to the changing world. But his life was the complete opposite.

It wasn't taking steps forward like everyone else, but it was being a rotten child taking on leaps and bounds in the _other _direction.

And it was his fault. He couldn't resist the 'natural instinct' in the end; the _desire_ to go after something that sparked his interest-or in this case, 'someone'.

He sighed, polishing his poké ball with even more strength at the mold of annoyance he felt in the pit of his stomach. He just _had_ to invite her here to this café-now look at what state of mind he was at. He was miserable. Completely miserable. He thought he could resist the temptation. He was going to tell her to go back home, not to go with him to some café!

He rubbed his poké ball so much that the ball was past the point of sparkling in the light.

He had to be calm. He couldn't revert back to who he was, and what he'd experienced. He had to focus on his goals. There was no room for distractions.

The only thing to do now, was to go find her and ask her to quit. Or even persuade if it came to it. It was the sole way to solve his predicament.

Stuffing his three overly-lustrous poké balls into his satchel, he stood up from the table, making his way towards the door. He was about to head out when he saw a familiar head of hair outside the café's window.

It was her. She was battling another trainer.

He lost all sense of his previous motivation and inched towards the window to get a closer look.

She had her Chespin out. Her opponent standing on the opposite side of the street, had a pidgey (which was a major disadvantage for her Chespin, he noted). Both trainers were having a stand-still, neither making a move. He wondered how she could possibly manage guiding a pokémon throughout battles with other trainers like this. She couldn't talk. How was she going to give commands to her pokémon?

As he dwelled on the possibilities, her Chespin made a move to attack and the pidgey swiftly avoided it with ease.

What was she doing? He criticized. The move on her part was completely useless. She couldn't just make an attack head-on like that. Now her Chespin was on the opponent's side as pidgey was on hers. What good did that give her?

But then she made her next move. Literally.

From where she stood, her and Chespin were making eye contact. He could see them trading glances. She put up a finger and Chespin instantly went rigid as a stick. Until pidgey dove down to attack, that's when she immediately did what seemed like she was pounding her fists together. Chespin understood and leaped above pidgey's attack, rapidly turned in himself to form a sphere then _rammed _into the bird. He could tell the momentum of the attack was incredible because the pidgey had fainted right on the spot.

The two trainers hastily traded remarks and rewards so the losing could take care of its fainted team-a tradition well-known to all trainers. Chespin waited quietly by its owner's side all the while, and when she was free, Chespin latched onto its owner's knee, a familiar action he'd seen back in the forest. She pried the creature off. He expected her to walk away and treat Chespin coldly. When she'd received Chespin, she hadn't wanted to meet the creature at all. But now, she was hugging the Chespin fiercely and together both trainer and pokémon spun happily at their victory in the middle of the road.

He was entranced.

Later, when she and Chespin finally left, he decided he'd lay off on sending her back home. And he also tried to make himself believe that the reason he did what did thus far, was only for her well-being.

She was a mute, after all.

* * *

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Dbztron2: Glad you thought it was funny! :) And don't worry about rambling! I absolutely agree with you said. The tutorials kill. The developers totally need to add like an option for it at the beginning of the game. (And hahah, Prof. Oak xD). Good job on beating the game, and thank you! Calem is the best, I agree. :)

AneresMelac (guest): Hahah! You guys. Thank you for the compliments. And wow, each of you guys have a legendary parent? That's cool! But I'm not sure what your names mean. I'll guess it has to do with your corresponding parents? Aneres is Yvelta's child, Melac is Xerneas'. And what you guys do? You fight alongside your parent! As for Melac, the genre has changed to drama because there will be certain jealously issues later on in the story :)

Happy Roaming!


	6. Camphrier Town

**Camphrier Town**

_"A town where you can taste the ages." _

It was as if she were in a small medieval kingdom. The cobblestone walkway, the rustic fountain, the quaint little cottages seemingly man-made and not by technology-and not to mention the humongous Shabboneau Castle as well-all really set the scene. It made Serena feel like a wanderer in one of the fantasy books she'd read not too long ago.

Wherever she went she saw old and new pokémon alike, either trained or wild, or friendly or hostile. The trainers she met were challenging yet satisfying, and the gym leaders weren't too shabby themselves. They put up a great fight, but no one has yet to beat her and Chespin: the almighty duo. The both of them surprisingly made a good team.

And Serena couldn't complain. They were supposed to be almighty, or else it wouldn't make any sense. Chespin was an incredibly bright pokémon. He loved to learn new moves and luckily, enjoyed copying whatever she did. That was another key to their winning streak. However, Chespin sometimes became too self-involved; especially in battles with wild pokémon. He had his moments where he would have way too much fun with the opponent for his own good. He would accidentally faint by annoying the other pokémon out of its mind, and not be aware that it was a battle, not a play-date. The only battles Serena ever lost was with wild pokémon, and it was too many battles lost to count. She bought potions, paralyze heals, antidotes, etc., but Chespin would use it all up with his carelessness.

And he was being careless right then by running straight into the castle at full-speed, leaving her stranded by the pokémon center. Most people would find this characteristic amusing in their pokémon, like 'Aww, how cute!' Or 'Ah, look at that little guy go! He'll be back soon, he'll be safe-'

Yeah, no.

Serena flew after him as fast as her legs could carry her, constantly imagining the worst and praying that he would be alright.

(***)

Calem's footsteps resonated throughout the castle walls as he walked forward towards the royal blue display case. Nothing was inside it. He read the case's label below. A poké flute was supposed be displayed there, so where was it? He needed to find the owner of this flute. That snorlax wasn't going to wake up any time soon.

He looked around some more to find the owner. The insides of the castle, to his surprise, were pretty bare except for a few desks propped up against the walls.

"Some castle," he murmured, and kept going further into the castle until he saw stairs leading upwards. He took them to the next floor, hoping to find the owner there but instead, found no one. To his left was another room and to his right was a mini library. Seeing books made his curiosity heighten, but yet getting that snorlax out of the way so he could continue his exploration interested him just as much too. What to choose, what to choose.

He chose the library. He just couldn't resist.

Smirking, he pulled a dusty volume from out of the mahogany bookcase, reading to himself the title and quickly skimming the pages for anything that could help him on his journey. Hopefully the owner of this castle didn't mind him poking around...

Then he heard faint taps coming from the stairs. Someone was coming. He smoothly slid the book back into place and stepped away, pretending to casually observe the bookcase from afar. He glanced out of the corner of his eye for the intruder.

Calem's eyes widened. It was Chespin. Serena's Chespin. And it was sniffing the air for something. Or someone.

Chespin got close to the ground, crawling and sniffing his way towards the library until he seemingly hit jack-pot, his head jerking up to lock eyes with Calem. He squealed and leaped at dark-haired teen's leg, giving it a squeeze. Apparently he was looking for him. Calem allowed himself a ghost of a smile.

"Shh, alright little guy," Calem hushed, picking the creature up and setting him on his arm like an infant. "Let's not be too loud in this castle." Calem leaned to the side, trying to somehow see the stairs. "Where's Serena?"

Chespin made a sound as if to say 'How should I know', and shrugged. But a while later, Serena came jogging up the stairs, her expression frantic and scared, most likely searching for Chespin.

Calem didn't know why, but he just froze in place as Serena spotted him holding Chespin. Her shoulders relaxed and she neared them, opening her arms wide. Was she about to give him a hug? His mind told him to turn away; don't accept the 'hug'. He needed time to get used to this.

_Turn away, turn away-_

Only a few more steps and she'd reach him. Why was she doing this to him? She was extremely shy at the beginning of the journey, so who was this girl in front of him? What happened? Why the sudden audacity? He wanted the shy, mute girl back. He wanted to give himself a reason to even be near this chick-

He thrust Chespin into her arms just as she got there. "Your Chespin," he said, his voice nearly cracking. Then before Serena could say anything about it, he sidestepped her and exited down the stairs as cooly as he could. Serena blinked, not even noticing a determined Chespin leaping out of her arms to trail after him.

(***)

She found Chespin near the river shortly after she left the Shabboneau Castle. She knew Chespin was looking for Calem, but the poor thing probably got distracted by the snoring snorlax sprawled across the bridge. She watched as Chespin tried to move the snorlax by pushing the enormous pokémon with his short, stubby forearms. Of course his attempts failed, so Serena returned him back to his pokéball to console his spirit. She stared at the pokéball for a few seconds before tucking it away.

The snorlax snored, blowing and popping spit-bubbles through its flapping mouth. She came up to the snorlax, wondering if perhaps, maybe, Chespin wasn't distracted. What if Calem had passed through here, and Chespin was only trying to get through? But with the snorlax in the way, how could that guy have even accomplished that?

While Serena contemplated this silently-whether or not to help Chespin find Calem-a man with a white robe and a red band tied around his head came up from behind her, asking for her help...

(***)

"Tackle!"

"Scratch!"

"Growl!"

Those were the main attacks he using against the wild pokémon behind the town's walls. He would have considered the constant battles practice for his pokémon-or even practice for him. But the battles were strange and unsettling. He wasn't using any defensive moves, just all offensive. More importantly, he didn't feel like his team was getting stronger. He didn't feel like he was getting stronger. Though they both probably were.

But he did feel satisfied.

It was like he was venting.

He continued battling despite this abnormality, his team quickly losing their health until he had to leave for the Pokémon Center, wondering if the snorlax was still blocking the next route.

(***)

She saw him enter the center with a cross face, and exit with a cross face. Now he was heading towards the castle. But wasn't he there earlier? She made sure there was at least ten feet between them before progressing, hiding every so often behind inanimate objects to ensure her secrecy. She needed to find what his problem was-why he acted so weird when he handed back Chespin. Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor have been warming up to her lately, talking to her whenever they got the chance. But Calem hasn't said a word to her since he invited her to Café Soleil.

She liked this adventure so far. She truly did. She was communicating with others finally after all those years, and her mom told her they weren't moving anymore, so she didn't want to mess things up. Not again. She hadn't done anything to upset him, right?

She hid behind the castle doors, peering inside with caution. He was examining the poké flute's display case, trying to unlock its hatch. Was he trying to steal the flute?

She resisted the urge to run forward and slap him silly. She'd gone through hell to get the flute back. Angered, she forgot about caution and a crack sounded from underneath her.

Calem sharply turned around, nearly catching her presence. She'd accidentally stepped on a branch. As he returned to lifting the top of the case, Serena snatched the branch up and threw it to side, annoyed. She thought Calem was a good guy, not some delinquent!

Then she remembered the snorlax, and thought maybe that was the reason why. But she'd just battled that snorlax, sending the lug on its way! What if that karate guy saw him in the midst of this? That poké flute belonged to the karate guy. The guy would chop his balls off.

She was about to reveal herself and take him to the bridge, but she felt an intense vibration from within her bag. Confused, she peered inside. Her pokéball was shaking in place. Like the inhabitant inside was desperately trying to break free.

Its attempts were successful and her pokéball gave in, releasing Chespin onto the ground beside her. He squealed, jumping in place.

She face-palmed.

Calem turned around, letting go of the case without the flute. Had he changed his mind? Serena sighed, and a small, relieved smile touched her lips as Chespin ran up to hug Calem's leg. Calem patted the pokémon's head absent-mindedly.

"You were watching me," he said, more like stated. And it befuddled the crap out of her. She hesitated before nodding dumbly. She noticed he couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Did you...return. This flute. Back to its case?"

She nodded, wondering why he sounded so surprised...and distant. Chespin looked up, switching his attention back and forth between the two trainers innocently. The air of tension and awkwardness was overwhelmingly thick. It was uncomfortable.

If only she could talk, she thought.

Calem picked Chespin up gently, placing the pokémon in her hands. She watched as he left without a word towards the door.

Still grasping Chespin, she ran past him to block his way. He continued to leave, unfortunately, by merely dodging her obstruction. And without a glance in her direction, not to mention.

Once more, she wished she could _talk. _She wished she could just blurt out, 'are you mad at me?!' without having to act it out or write it down or running to block someone. She felt helpless. At times like this, her whole _life _felt helpless, stupid, inferior. She didn't know how talking felt like, but she imagined you could add so much _feeling _into it. Enough feeling that could stop someone or something in their tracks.

Talking is power. A power she did not have, making her easy to trample over; take things from; steal things from; _leave _from.

Defeated, she slackened her pace, allowing him to leave without her; just as how she'd let Ampharos too, a millennium before.

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AneresMelac: Haha, wow, you guys have nice pokémon on your teams. And look in the mirror-i never would have guessed! This story is like dedicated to you guys then :)

Dbztron2: Hope this chapter answered your 'Serena's muteness' question. More concepts will be explained later on, as well as current ones :) As for the professor, there were times when Trevor would be there so he probably translated for her, but in a few more chapters this will be explained by Serena herself. (Your sister's so funny xD i would have reacted the same way!)

Sorry I took so long-school's officially back to eat my brain! Had to regenerate... So here's an extra long chapter. Thank you for everyone's continuing support! It is much appreciated.

Happy Roaming!


	7. Parfum Palace

_This chapter and the following would like to acknowledge Dbztron2's birthday. Happy belated birthday Dbz! :)_

**Parfum Palace**

"_A luxurious palace constructed 300 years ago by a king who wished to display his power to all."_

_._

The wind rolled through the grass like waves as he aimlessly followed the dirt road. The insides of the Palace hadn't interested him, so he took the Palace's back door to arrive here in the ridiculous hedge mazes. Why someone would spend fortunes on trimming mere bushes, was beyond him.

If he had a fortune, he would spend it on the next top-notch technology out there to research the nature of pokemon.

But—eh—that was just him. And the king of this palace was the king. If the king liked wasting his money, then fine.

Though he did admire the king's degree of wealth. That guy must've worked hard to get where he was.

He continued to walk until he arrived in front of a statue of a poke ball, examining it from afar.

It didn't take long for his interest to diminish. He's seen poke balls plenty of times. There were far greater balls in this world.

He left the poke ball monument and turned right (and thank god he was able to turn right; he thought there'd be more of the ridiculous, god-for-saken hedges). It wasn't long before he reached another monument.

This time, it wasn't a poke ball, but a great Zekrom monument. He knew this pokemon without having to read the statue's label. Anyone who'd went to school knew this ancient, legendary, omniscient Zekrom was from the Unova region. What great power this creature had! It would have been mind-blowing to witness its mere, awesome presence, and he'd heard of trainers, just as ordinary as he was, that were able to capture it (Think about it. Capture an extremely rare, powerful force within a mere ball? Impossible). He loved his pokemon, but if he had an incredible _beast _such as _this guy_—

"Zekrom—the Pokemon that assists those who seek to make an ideal world. Magnificent, isn't it?"

Caught a bit off guard, he turned to meet the eyes of a petite female around his age. Peers have told him he always had this sort of serene look on his face when he was admiring a certain object.

"Yes, it is," he said finally.

"Are you also touring the place?" She wasn't from here by the looks of the beret sitting on her short, ebony hair.

He wouldn't describe his stroll as a sort of 'touring' the palace. He'd went straight for the hedges instead of the palace. Gold columns? Boring. But her question was vague. Did she mean the hedge garden, the palace, or the whole Kalos region?

At Calem's conflicted expression, the girl caught herself. "Oh! My apologies for the oddly phrased question. I meant are you touring the palace as well?"

Well, at least she has self-awareness. She was putting on a good first impression for herself, unlike someone else he recently met…

"I'm only interested in what Parfum's garden has to offer at the moment, but maybe I'll tour the rest later," he says.

"Ah, I see. So you're a trainer."

He was slightly taken aback. "What makes you conclude that?"

"Only a true trainer would be focused on historical monuments and such and not riches. I've learned that from my father."

A true trainer, huh? He's always thought anyone could be a trainer with their own interests allowed. One didn't have to be so attentive towards history in order to be successful. Some trainers accept the pokemon road for the adventure and exhilaration; some take this path to become the best of the best or to merely learn more about the mysteriousness of it all.

And perhaps even a few trainers chose to travel alongside pokemon to give meaning to one's life.

He looks up at the statue surrounded by the great, blue horizon. "Your father knows what he's saying."

"Yes. He's told me a lot of things. He's a teacher, you see."

He instantly faces her. "Oh? So are my parents."

An enormous amount of surprises around every corner, this girl…

She blinks, and for the first time he notices she has deep, chocolate brown eyes, not dusty amber.

"What a coincidence. You must understand where I'm coming from, then?"

"Apologies: my parents don't talk to me as much as your father to you, I'm afraid."

She shakes her head fretfully. "Oh no, you're good. I'm the one that's sorry—I shouldn't have asked! I must be bringing up bad memories—"

"You're fine," he says quickly, feeling a prick of annoyance that he immediately squashes. She doesn't deserve it. She was a little overly-polite for his comfort—he preferred down-to-earth—but at least she wasn't being obnoxious.

He frowns inward to himself. What was he thinking? Did he actually have a _type of girl _now?

And after so many years of trying to focus on another subject other than standards.

"Well, would you look at that," she announces, glancing at her wristwatch. "It's nearly three sharp. I could have sworn I'd just arrive here five minutes ago. Time sure flies in this world."

He nods tersely. "I couldn't agree more."

"It was nice talking to you, err…"

"Calem."

What? Why did he give up his name so willingly? He had a feeling he shouldn't have done so.

"And I'm Mora. I hope to see you again sometime." She holds out a delicate, long hand, which he—unexpectedly—automatically shakes it with his own soft ones that he hates with a great passion. His hands used to be calloused as a Miltank's hide, but now his hands were as smooth as this petite girl's.

"See you," he bids. The girl smiles firmly, then departs down one of the long walkways behind him.

After a while, he decides he should take his own departure as well. With one last examination of Zekrom, he turns, expecting to see the girl just a ways off. But she's nowhere to be seen.

She'd vanished.

* * *

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The next chapter should be posted within the next 24 hours as an apology for the long wait :) (replies to last chapter's reviews will be on there as well)

Happy Roaming, and I give everyone my thanks!~


	8. Connecting Cave

A/N: Due to the chapter, it felt right to place the A/N here. Thank you for everyone's continuing support, and remember to Roam Happily! :)

AneresMelac: Now that you've mentioned Serena's canon eye color, there's a controversy on whether or not her eyes are blue. In some pictures she has a glassy gray color, to a bright blue. It's pretty confusing on which is real! I hope to confront this controversy in a much later chapter with a little twist ;) You guys don't bore me at all. Your reviews are always so interesting with the little side convos XD .

Dbztron2: I am so glad it was a nice surprise for you :) And yes, it was pretty strange that the snorlax was so much weaker than previous games. I caught that sucker this time! And side quests at the end of the game? Certainly interesting. I'm going to try that out once I finish the game XD. Oh, I love mystery dungeon games! Gonna so check that out too. Thank you for your compliments, as always :))

* * *

.

**Connecting Cave**

_"This cave linking Route 7 and Cyllage city is notable for its great hordes of zubat."_

_._

She couldn't believe what had just happened. He'd battled alongside with her, and they were only _inches away _from each other when they were double-teaming against Trevor and Tierno.

Wasn't he mad at her for something back at the Shabboneau castle? Apparently he'd had a sudden change of heart.

But despite previous encounters, they made a good team—no—a _great _team. He understood her tactics without having to ask her during battle, and his Braixen went along fantastically with Chespin, even though their types were polar opposites. Trevor's Pikachu and Tierno's Corphish didn't stand a chance! Her and Calem's communication was _that _incredible. It had given her a sense of fear and gratitude at the same time: scary how he'd understood her so quickly, and praise for his wits on the battle-field.

However, the only thing she had a problem with was that he was still distant from her.

Even now.

"Good battle guys," he said to Trevor and Tierno, and not her. "We should all meet up around Shalour City in a few days."

"Thanks Calem; alright will do." Trevor shakes his hand, then Tierno does the same.

"Yeah man! Epic battle. We should do it again sometime and have Shauna as a judge!"

"Great idea," Calem agrees, then turns to her, his hair having more spark than his dull, neutral eyes. "If I were you, I'd head for Ambrette Town. It's only up ahead past the Connecting Cave and Cyllage City."

Serena fumes silently. The nerve of this guy. Why doesn't he just _travel _alongside her if he kept giving her indirect advice?

She nods with little enthusiasm, turns her back to him, and heads for the next destination without further words. She hoped it bothered him. She hoped it bothered him _immensely._

It better.

"Bye Serena!" Tierno hollered.

(***)

Chespin was at it again, and she wished the battle with Trevor and Tierno wasn't as successful as it was. Chespin, having been completely healthy since no damage was afflicted upon him, was as energetic as ever, and she didn't know how he manages to escape his pokeball at free will anytime, anywhere.

He has run ahead of her, straight into the dark, ominous cave's entrance with a pitchy war-cry, his clawed hand in the air. His bravery was one to envy.

She read the sign beside the gaping entrance: '…_This is the shortcut to Ambrette Town.' _If this was a shortcut, then it meant that the cave shouldn't be that long of a walk to the other side. It would also mean that Chespin should be okay with going in by himself. This relieved her a huge amount and gave her the last pinch of willpower she needed to enter the cave.

All signs of light instantly disappeared as she crossed dimensions. The dark was overwhelming; it was pitch black, but soon her eyes adjusted to the low, non-existent amount of light. Sharp, moldy rocks jutted out from the ground, threatening to pierce her skin if she came too close. The air was damp and filled with a poignant smell she couldn't describe, and stalactites seemingly materialized before her eyes during some points and she'd quickly cover her face to prevent her eye ball from being poked. The floor was unstable at some points of her daring venture, because the terrain was so uneven with the steep, miniature bumps every so often.

There was no one else in sight. Not a single human or pokemon presence. But the eerie atmosphere didn't last long when squeals of a familiar pokemon echoed from behind her. The pokemon did not sound like it was having the time of its life.

Serena's eyes went wide. It was Chespin. She jogged back to where she came from, using her ears to follow the distress calls. She tripped once, but got back up and did not slacken her pace. Where was he? What happened? Was Chespin being attacked? …Kidnapped?

She turned a corner and with extreme luck, managed to halt in her tracks before falling into the gorge-like hole before her. She'd seen these holes already from her previous adventure. Had someone dug these holes on purpose just to spite travelers? She didn't know—but these kinds of obstacles never stopped her and Ampharos on their journey.

_Ampharos…_

No! She reprimanded herself with a shake of her head. Focus! She got down on all fours and peered over the edge. Once she was sure she was seeing the top of Chespin's spiky head, she clapped once to get his attention. He rapidly looks up, his eyes bright with worry. He pointed at a crevice on the side of the hole. A Whismur was stuck from within, and it was the tiniest she's ever seen! The creature's asterisk eyes glinted with shimmering tears in the dark.

"Ch-ch-chespin!" Her pokemon whimpered. She gave him a firm nod, and tried to reassure him with a determined look. He seemed to understand her and stopped his cries.

With her back turned towards him, she gingerly started to descend by feeling around with the tip of her foot for a ledge that wouldn't give. She'd only taken two steps down when Chespin started to shriek.

"**_Chespin_**_!_"

Her progression froze and her body went rigid. Breathing became a laborious task. What was wrong? Was he being attacked? She chanced a peek at him. He was okay, but he was staring past her up at the ceiling, eyes wide with terror.

He wasn't the one in trouble. She was.

A flurry of squeaks and flaps of the wing pierced the air above her before she could progress in her mind what to do. _Zubat. _She had to move. Get cover. Be anywhere but _here_ in this position.

Hand after shaky hand, foot after tense foot, she climbed out of the hole. Was there even time to assess the situation? It was too dark anyway. There was nowhere to hide!

She wasn't being quick enough. The horde of zubat dove down towards her in one unanimous screech that chilled her to the bone. She saw their bared fangs before she went under, going flat on her stomach and covering her head with her arms. She waited for the fangs to dig deep into her back and skull.

"Serena!"

There was a sudden weight on her, and air momentarily left her lungs. Was this the Zubats' doing? Were they trying to squish her to death?

"Now, Braixen!"

No. Someone was protecting her. She thought she'd heard her name being called earlier, but it was hard to concentrate or think with the deafening racket.

A menacing growl resonated above all else. A burst of light illuminates the cave, followed by a sharp increase in temperature that goes away as soon as it came. A spontaneous screech comes from the Zubats.

Seconds later, the ruckus subsides. The Zubats had probably fled. She squirms from underneath her captive, and it wasn't until a moment later that he or she finally got off from on top of her. Maybe it was a precaution measure? To make sure the Zubats were gone for good? She takes a great deal to stand up, and it surprises her how fast the adrenaline had weakened her. The world started to spin…

"Careful," her savior warns. Foreign hands grasped her shoulders, trying to steady her but failed to act as an anchor. She leans her whole weight into her savior's touch until her foot steps forward to distribute her weight evenly.

She tilts her head up to find Calem's own only inches away. Her temple and cheeks go aflame at the intimacy of it all, and yet his expression remains unruffled, his eyes laced with curiosity.

He was studying her reaction. And she was allowing him to do so. Where was her pride? Any inkling of self-pride she previously kept inside, diminished. His eyes transfixed her. They were luminous from up close; a wintry, mystical azure blue.

She could stay like this forever.

He stepped back finally, letting go of her shoulders, and the missing presence upset her. His eyes weren't as bright anymore now that they were a foot apart.

They became two figures outlined in darkness.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" He says, as if what had just happened between them never happened. She would have been offended if not for the concerned tone of his voice warming her to the core.

She shook her head, and took great care in stepping towards him. She didn't want him to flee like last time—she wanted to check if he had any injuries. She remembers the Zubats' fangs.

He almost backs away, but not quite once he kind of understood what she was doing. At times like this, she dearly wished he learned sign language.

After seconds of examination, she discovers a pair of bloody tears of fabric hanging from his back; a deep hole the size of the tip of a sharp pencil in each spot of the revealed skin.

Her hands flew to her mouth in alarm and she whirled him around. He was poisoned! He had to be! In frantic movements, she tried to explain to him what she saw on his back by assistance of two of her fingers jabbing her arm.

"Two Zubat bit me…" He says with a tone of wonder, as if trying to comprehend. He goes pensive.

"Strange. I don't feel the least bit woozy. Just don't worry about—"

Then, as if he's insulted fate's power, he collapses to the ground, and Serena is overwhelmed with the danger of the situation. She checks his chest. He was barely breathing. She hastily gathers him up behind her back and stands, getting him to gain transport on her back. He wasn't going to die, was he? Was she treating this situation correctly?

With all her strength, she goes towards the gaping hole for Chespin, and only Chespin. Calem was the top priority at the moment, and although she might regret it immensely later, Whismur had to wait a little bit longer for help. The creature was the least of her worries.

But Chespin wasn't there, and neither was Whismur.

She starts to perspire. How much time did she have? Did poison travel fast? How toxic was Zubat venom? She had to get out of here without Chespin whether she liked it or not.

She jumps once, trying to not let Calem slide off her back. Then she tries to run, but only turns the corner before she's back to trudging. She blindly chooses a direction she anticipates was the nearest exit. Would the pokemon center be the place for Calem to go to?

She hears multiple taps and plods of feet coming her way. Who was it? _What _was it? Her vision struggled to zero in on the silhouettes of the three shadows up ahead. She could only make out two creatures and a human. A _human._ They were running towards her and her heart skipped. They _had _to be good souls, coming to her rescue—_Calem's _rescue.

"Hey! Walk carefully and slowly, but do not make haste!" The human shouted. Serena slackened her pace, but with great hesitancy. Why? This was dire! She couldn't afford to _not _make haste! But as they came closer, she saw the human was a woman in a doctor's coat, so it was advice she had to firmly enforce. Chespin and Braixen were also there beside her too.

"Do not make haste! I repeat, do not make haste!"

Why did she keep repeating this? Was it dangerous to move Calem? But she'd moved him around so much earlier…

Oh no.

Now that they were only two feet away, the woman breathed fast and talked rapidly. "How long was he poisoned? How did this happen?" They all walked together: pokemon and human alike.

Serena couldn't comprehend. What was the woman saying? She couldn't formulate. She couldn't speak. She—She couldn't believe what she'd just done to Calem. _Do not make haste. Do not make haste._

"Please do not tell me you've moved him too quickly or in brisk motions."

Serena could only stare. She could only stare—!

The woman finally grasps the urgency.

"You've just spread the venom nearer to the boy's heart. Hurry—to the nearest home with me, now."

For the first time ever, she prays.


	9. Cyllage City

AneresMelac: Run Calem!

Dbztron2: Thank you for that! Pecha berries on a human? Hmm, you'll just have to wait and find out :) And wow, gen 7? I'm going to go with ! Might be a woman this time around.

A/N: Notes will be up here from now on. And thank you for the reviews guys! Much love to everyone. Happy Roaming!

'Let Her Go' by Passenger and 'Bittersweet' by Ellie Goulding…The great songs helped me type with a rhythm.

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**Cyllage City**

_"The city of peaceful strolls."_

.

She drifts in and out of consciousness.

She's on the tight-rope that separates reality from fantasy, and she wobbles. She wants to fall—more than anything—but she continues to sway perilously, her feet _glued _to the tight-rope—the cursed boundary line that she cannot cross. She wants to dream, yet stay awake at the same time.

Who would watch him if she were to fall asleep?

Who would ease the guilt that would build up every second she stayed awake?

Finally, she chooses both. She doesn't know how, but she does. Her eyes shut off to the world.

She drifts in and out of consciousness.

(***)

_Mom. _

_She's always been the charismatic individual, talking up a storm to almost any type of person out there. She could bear any weight on her shoulder or any burden of multiple situations. The impossible became possible to her. _

_She raced on rhyhorns for a living._

_She is also one of the strongest single moms out there, but not strong enough. Her child was a mute. A ticking time-bomb of emotions locked inside her. _

_Mom would have never allowed such a bomb to detonate on her watch—what with her amazing social skills. But her daughter could not talk. How were they supposed to make do?_

_Oh yes. Just treat her with all the love in the world, learn sign language to communicate with her, love her no matter what._

_But mom never listened to what her daughter has to say._

(***)

She buries her head into her arms and cries silently, careful not to let her tears soak the bed-sheets. She takes a moment to breathe in and out. Reaching with a hand, her hand grasps Calem's. For some reason, he cares about her.

She is grateful for that.

(***)

_She's lost in the woods. She thought she could adventure on her own. Mom would kill her for getting home late. _

_It's cold. The trees are bare and towering. They pierce the pink sky into sharp augmented fragments. Leaves crunch beneath her feet._

_A pack of dark-furred hounds show before her. Pokemon? She doesn't know their names._

_She turns to run and dodge beneath branches. The canines snarl behind her. Fear grips her heart._

_A flash. A loud electric noise vibrates in the air. The hounds yelp and flee._

_To her right by the shallow creek stands a tampered, white fuzzy creature with blue skin._

(***)

Chespin tugs on her skirt and whines. She sniffs and lifts her head.

Taking her hand away from Calem's, she hugs Chespin deep into her chest.

_Her mom tells her to no longer cry at mere scratches of the arm…_

She lifts her head high, refusing to release further tears.

_Her crush in class never looks her way…_

Steadily, she stares at Calem's sleeping form, his hand alone on the bare sheets.

_The creature was a pokemon named 'mareep'…_

Together with Chespin, she strides out of the home to continue their adventure.

_She is forever _grateful.


End file.
